| NO. | Brand | Compatible P/N | Remarks |
| 1 | Cisco | QSFP-4SFP25-CU5M | |
| 2 | Arista Networks | CAB-Q28-S28-5M | |
| 3 | Brocade | 100G-Q28-S28-C-0501 | |
| 4 | Huawei | QSFP-4SFP25G-CU5M | |
| 5 | Juniper | QFX-Q-S-DAC-5M |
This 5-meter breakout cable connects one 100G QSFP28 port to four 25G SFP28 ports.
It is fully compatible with Arista equipment and replaces the Arista CAB-Q28-S28-5M line.
Designed for short distances, the passive copper DAC breakout cable offers a highly cost-effective interconnect solution for data centers.
It seamlessly merges 100G switches with 25G host adapters, switches, and high-speed enterprise servers.
Compatibility and Supported DevicesHYTOPTODEVICE breakout DAC cable is engineered with mixed EEPROM configuration capabilities. The QSFP28 end matches Arista’s signature, while the SFP28 ends can be dual-coded to match either Arista hardware or common enterprise server network adapters.
Arista 7060X Series: 7060CX-32S, 7060CX2-32S, 7060DX4-32
Arista 7280R Series: 7280CR-48, 7280QR-C36, 7280CR3-32P
Arista 7300X Series: 7300X-64Q, 7320X-32C
Arista 7160 Series: 7160-32S, 7160-48YC6
Enterprise Servers: Connected to PCIe NICs from brands like Mellanox/NVIDIA (ConnectX-5/6 LX 25G), Intel (XXV710), or Broadcom installed inside standard rack servers.
The 5-meter passive breakout cable is designed for tight, intra-rack architectures. Its primary use cases include:
100G to 4x25G Port Splitting: Breaking down a high-density 100G QSFP28 port on an Arista switch into four individual 25G lanes to optimize port utilization.
ToR Switch-to-Server Distribution: Connecting a 100G upstream leaf switch directly to four downstream servers equipped with 25G SFP28 Network Interface Cards (NICs).
High-Density Storage Migration: Linking a 100G network core to multiple 25G flash-storage arrays or cluster nodes within the same rack.
Cost-Efficient Rack Consolidation: Eliminating the need for expensive breakout optical transceivers and fiber patch cables for short-range, intra-rack distribution.
| Arista Compatible | CAB-Q28-S28-5M | Vendor Name | HYTOPTODEVICE |
| Connector | QSFP28 to 4xSFP28 | Max Data Rate | 100Gbps |
| Cable Length | 5m (16ft) | AWG | 26AWG |
| Jacket Material | PVC(OFNR) | Minimum Bend Radius | 30mm |
| Operation Temperature | 0~ 70 °C (32 to 158°F) | Protocols | 100 Gigabit Ethernet |
Q1: Q1: What does the part number "CAB-Q28-S28-5M" stand for? A1: It decodes as follows: CAB indicates it is a cable assembly; Q28 stands for QSFP28 (100G end); S28 stands for SFP28 (25G ends); and 3M defines its 5-meter length.
Q2: Can I use this DAC cable to connect a Arista switch to a switch from another brand? A2: Yes, but you need a "dual-compatible" version where one end is coded for Arista and the other end is coded for the other brand (e.g., Cisco, Dell, or HPE).
Q3:Is the CAB-Q28-S28-5M an active or passive cable? A: No, it's a passive breakout copper cable. It contains no active signal amplification circuitry, boasts extremely high reliability, excellent power consumption (almost 0W), and outstanding latency.
Q4: What is the maximum distance for the CAB-Q28-S28-5M? A4: Its maximum physical length is 5 meter (16 feet) with a passive copper twinax cable.
Q5:Can I use this Arista-coded DAC cable to connect a Arista switch to a Cisco or HPE switch?A5:If you use a standard Arista-coded cable, the Cisco/HPE end might reject it due to vendor locking. For cross-vendor environments, it is highly recommended to order a Dual-Vendor Coded Cable (Arista-coded on End A, and Cisco/HPE-coded on End B) to ensure seamless plug-and-play compatibility on both sides.
Q6:Can this cable be used to split a 40G port into four 10G channels? A6: No. The internal electrical design, wire tuning, and physical connector architectures are optimized strictly for 100G-to-4x25G signaling. For 40G-to-10G applications, you must use a dedicated 40G breakout cable (such as the Arista CAB-Q-S-3M).
Q7:Will Arista EOS recognize this cable as genuine? A7: Yes. Our compatible breakout cables are flashed with the authentic Arista vendor profile. The switch will recognize it as a CAB-Q28-S28-5M.
Q8:What is the power consumption for DAC breakout cable? A8: Our Direct Attach Copper (DAC) breakout cables are passive, it consume near-zero power (<0.1W per end), that is far more energy-efficient than fiber optical transceivers or AOCs.
Q9: Can the four SFP28 ends be plugged into different switches? A9: Yes, provided the four destination switches or servers are within the physical reach of the 3-meter breakout legs. They operate as four completely independent 25G channels.
Q10:Does this breakout cable support hot-swapping? A10: Yes. it support hot-pluggable.The breakout cable is fully compliant with SFF-8665 and SFF-8402 standards. you can plug it in or remove it while switches and servers are running, without any damage.
HYTOPTODEVICE has supplied over 200,000 passive Direct Attach Copper(DAC) cable to data centers and enterprise networks across 100+ countries since 2011. Every passive DAC cable undergoes comprehensive 100% performance, signal integrity, and compatibility testing before shipment。
"We replaced 100 Cisco-branded DACS with HYTOPTODEVICE equivalents across our spine layer — zero compatibility issues, 40% cost reduction."— Network Architect, Tier-2 ISP, England
Quality Certification & Compliance：
At HYTOPTODEVICE, our quality commitment is backed by industry-standard validations. From passive DAC cable manufacturing to final inspection, our processes ensure global compliance and reliability.
We adhere to rigorous standards for our passive DAC cable and network solutions:
ISO 9001: Certified quality management and production consistency.
CE & FCC: Fully compliant for seamless Global Market Access.
RoHS: Committed to environmental responsibility and hazardous material control.
Proven Reliability: Rigorous testing to reduce compliance risk and ensure safety.
Certified Quality. Global Standards. Guaranteed Performance.
